Promises
by theCatandtheCow
Summary: It started with one mistake, but by trying to fix that mistake another was born in its place. One thing led to another and soon you're staring at the face of your sin and wonder what went wrong. Promises only mean so much. Elricest. AU Amestris. Rated T.
1. Prologue

Author's Note: Wow… it has been a long time. And I mean a really long time. Well, I suppose I should say hello and apologize for that… break I guess you could call it. I actually didn't have any intention to write more fanfiction (I wanted to focus on my own original works and fanfiction made that a little hard). But when a plot bunny is born, it's kinda hard to ignore it.

So! I'm making a semi-comeback! Yeah, I'll write up this story (which shouldn't be too long if all goes according to plan) but there may be some long breaks since I'm working on a novel as well (then there's school to consider…). This may be my last story, it may not. We'll just see where this takes us.

Now, I'll thank you for clicking on my story. Thank you!! And a thank you to all of those who have reviewed and favorited my stories! I love you all; your encouragement is what keeps me writing! Now I'll stop rambling and let you enjoy the story.

Warnings: Don't sit too close to the screen in the dark! It could ruin your eyesight or stunt your growth, heheh. Elricest, hints of EdWin, AU, insanity by yours truly, and other random things.

Disclaimer: I don't own FMA. That's all that needs to be said. :)

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Prologue

Lightning flashed and lit up the entire alleyway. A bloody handprint, illuminated by the bolt of light, could be seen against the pavement along with the reddened smear that led to the fallen body of a tired man. He panted heavily, brushing aside his matted once-brilliantly golden hair to try and get a better field of vision. Everything blurred together and his ears rang with white noise. His heart rate wouldn't slow; a sound similar to that of a whimper escaped him when a pair of black boots halted in front of him.

Raising his weary head to see the one who approached him, he felt his blood run cold and terror shoot through his veins. A sick smile had plastered itself on the cloaked figure's face as it peered down at the broken man in front of it. The man closed his eyes and looked away, trying to catch his breath only to be kicked in the chest. He bit back the scream that wanted to erupt from his lips, but only blood managed to trickle down his chin from chapped lips.

"I suppose that makes three broken ribs now, doesn't it?" the figure asked smoothly, gliding over to where its victim had scrambled away to. "Or maybe I've lost count… would you care to remind me?"

A heavy boot slammed into his back, its wearer now satisfied with the pained moan it received. The rain washed away the blood that steadily filled the alley from the various wounds on the man's body. His eyes clenched shut partially because of pain, but mainly because he couldn't bear to look at the face of his attacker.

"Please…" he wheezed; his chest felt like it was on fire and knew that more than three ribs had been injured, "…stop… I… I can't…"

The figure removed their boot from the man's back and stooped down to look at his bloodied face, "Oh, but I don't intend to. I want to make sure that you suffer, _dear brother_. I want you to be begging for death by the time I'm through with you, but not even you deserve such a sweet sleep when I can't even hope for that."

Tears mingled with the blood staining the man's face, a shaky hand drawing something on the harsh concrete beneath him and out of the figure's field of vision. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"

"I know. But haven't you learned by now that no matter how many times you say that-"

"_-I could never hate you!"_

"-I'll never forgive you for this eternal damnation. _Nothing_ compares to my hatred for you, pathetic human."

The twisted grin grew wider when the choked sob reached its ears. Even with all the pain the man bore, his hand continued to use his own blood as ink and his fingers as writing implements. He knew this array better than he knew himself now; he saw it in his sleep and drew it as he ate and studied it relentlessly. It was now or never.

"Pleasant dreams until next we meet, dear brother." The figure raised its hand, prepared for the final blow for the evening, but froze as a flash of blue light assaulted its vision. "What is this?! What are you doing?!"

The man did not answer, but allowed the blue light to engulf them both as a single thought echoed in his mind. _I'm going to set things right. I promise you that…_

When the next flash of lightning illuminated the alley, there wasn't a trace of a single living being.

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A/N: Who were those two in the alley? And what the hell just happened? Where are the Ed and Al we love and cherish? You'll see. Heheh...

Yes… it is short, I know. But I'll probably update on Wednesday or even tomorrow if all goes well. I'll try to have my chapters for this story coincide with those of my own novel. Hope you enjoyed it and that this little suspense keeps you interested.

R&R please. It'll make the Elric brothers happy! And we all want happy Elrics, don't we?


	2. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Here's the first official chapter of my new story "Promises"! I think that might be a tentative title though… I may change it.

Just so no one gets confused; Ed is seventeen because he turned sixteen in the anime and time passed and I made winter come again, so Ed aged a year. Al is fifteen (for now) because I made his birthday in April! Later in April... I think I made it the 23rd in my other story, so we'll go with that. Yeah, still unsure of when he's born, so I'm sticking with that theory. Winry, for the heck of it, is also seventeen. Pinako is ancient. I think that covers their ages!

Please enjoy this chapter and see Prologue for disclaimer and warnings.

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Chapter 1

Alphonse Elric gasped in surprise as he almost tumbled down the grassy hill that he had ambled up with picnic basket in tow. Managing to regain his balance, he slowed down enough so that he made it down in one piece and without sending the beautifully prepared lunch flying into the river. After all, he had to prove that he was perfectly capable of walking while holding something. This task had been surprisingly difficult during the first few weeks of his restoration.

Craning his head back, he grinned mischievously when he saw that his brother and their friend were still making their way to the top of the hill. "C'mon, you guys! I don't remember you being this slow, Brother."

"Hey!" Edward shouted from the top of the hill, his voice slightly muffled from the picnic blanket in front of him, "You try climbing a hill with fifty pounds of blankets in your arms!"

Al rolled his eyes, the sun making them shimmer and appear like genuine silver rather than stormy gray. He turned his back to them and continued on towards the river bank where the three of them had decided to have their picnic. The youngest of them was the most excited; he'd been looking forward to a picnic outside for a while. His restoration had taken place in the dead of winter, so the weather had been nowhere near pleasant. They just had buckets of rain, the snowfall of January, and then more rain. Finally, the time for a picnic had arrived and Al couldn't have been happier.

"_You promised, Brother! You promised that when the sun came out that we could go on a picnic!"_

"_Heh, I guess I did, didn't I? Alright, Al. Grab the blankets and let's head out!"_

Alphonse smiled to himself as he stretched out on the moist, yet prickly grass. He loved how it brushed against his skin and how it tickled his palm as he ran his hand over the grass. He watched as Winry and Ed spread out the picnic blanket, chuckling to himself when the blonde mechanic shooed Ed away from the food. With a huff, Ed plopped down on the grass beside his brother; arms crossed across his chest and a scowl decorating his features.

"Brother, you're being silly." Al told him with lightness to his voice that melted the scowl right off Ed's face.

The older Elric just shrugged, "Yeah, well, I'm hungry. And the food smells soooo gooood, Aaal…"

"Don't whine, Brother." Al giggled, bopping him on the head. "C'mon, if we go swimming it'll take your mind off the food."

"Go _swimming_?" Ed gaped at Al in disbelief, "It's March, Al! No one goes swimming in March! Just because it's sunny doesn't mean it's warm!"

The brunette was already up off the ground and practically skipping over to the river, "But I want to feel the water, Brother. I haven't gotten to yet."

"Yes you have. You've taken baths and walked in the rain." The golden haired boy snorted.

"But it's not the same…" Now it was the younger brother's turn to whine.

Ed rolled his eyes, "Then you go in the water and freeze your ass off. I don't have to join you, besides, I can't swim with automail."

"Then we wade!" Al compromised, going back over to his brother and sitting beside him so he could tug on his sleeve, "Please? I want to feel it with you… It'll be lonely otherwise… you don't want me to lonely, do you Brother?"

It was said that no one could ever get the Fullmetal Alchemist to back down from anything, except for his little brother. Twin silver pools gazed into amber colored ones imploringly until the older boy wriggled helplessly under the scrutiny. No one, not even Scar, would ever be able to resist those puppy eyes.

"Alright, alright!" Ed threw up his hands in defeat, "But only for a few minutes, okay? I for one don't want to catch hypothermia."

Alphonse leapt up happily and darted back over to the river. With a sigh and a grunt, Edward pushed himself off the ground and ignored the amused look that Winry was casting his way. By the time the older boy reached his brother, Al had already removed his shoes and socks and was rolling up his pant legs so that they wouldn't get wet. Ed did the same, staying far from the edge while Al splashed around in the shallow part of the river. Carefully stepping in after him, Ed grimaced at the icy chill that shot up one leg as the other remained numb to the elements around it.

"God, Al! It's freezing!"

"It feels good though." The younger replied, flashing his elder a sunny smile, "You'll get used to it, Brother, don't worry."

"I'm not worrying." He grumbled, moving around a bit to warm his leg up a bit more.

Al laughed at his brother's expression before continuing to splash around. He was delighted at the feeling of the small pebbles on the river's floor as they rolled beneath his bare feet. The chilly water was also refreshing and brought back memories of swimming lessons and fishing in the fall with his brother when they let their feet dangle in the water as they waited for a bite. With his arms spread out wide for balance, Alphonse waded out a little further until the water was at his knees. He glanced back at Ed, elated to see his big brother watching him. It seemed that whenever he caught his brother watching him, the older of the two always appeared relaxed and happy. It was a nice change of pace and made Al happy in return.

Leaning over, Al let his arms fall forward so he could put his hands in the water. He admired how the water made them paler and marveled at the feeling of it between his fingers as he wiggled them. He then wiggled his toes too, but flailed about as he almost lost his balance from displacing some of the pebbles.

"Careful, Al." Ed's tone was more amused rather than annoyed, which pleased the younger boy.

With a nod Al straightened up, then decided to test his brother by hopping around a bit a watching as the water rippled around him. Ed's sigh was exaggerated and meant for Al to hear, but despite his better judgment, he couldn't stop smiling. Merely seeing Al playing in the water like a little kid was enough to brighten his mood.

The younger boy was getting healthier and that relieved Edward to no end. He could remember how scary the first few weeks were; Al's body had been malnourished and his bones were so delicate that they could've been shattered if moved the wrong way. His skin had been paper thin, too; the spidery, blue veins were visible in places they shouldn't have been. When Al first opened his eyes, Ed felt terrified that he had gone blind with the way that his pupils dilated in response to the light. Not to mention the fact that coming back in the dead of winter meant that Al was susceptible to the elements and got horribly sick on the way to Resembool.

His body had been growing in a place where there were no germs or nutrients, so he had no way to fight off bacteria or infection. It scared Ed beyond belief to see Al so fragile and helpless, especially since there was nothing the older boy could do to make it better except to stay by his side and help him with the tasks he couldn't do. Even though Ed felt guilty for this, it had been quite convenient that while Al's body had grown, he was not bigger than him. Had he been, that would've made carrying him around an issue. Since the Gate did not have the proper necessities a body needed to grow healthily, Al's growth had been stunted.

"_Do you think that he'll end up as tall as he should be?"_

"_I'm not sure… the strain on his body now along with the past four years are probably taking their toll on him."_

"_I bet you're happy that he's not taller than you, huh Ed?"_

"_Don't be stupid… I didn't want it to be like this…"_

"A-ah! It's cold!" Al squirmed as some water sloshed up his pant leg to his thigh.

Ed couldn't help but laugh as Al practically danced around from the sudden chill, "I told you! You just don't listen, do you?"

"Shut up!" the younger was laughing, cupping some water in his hands to splash Ed with.

"Hey!" Amber optics burned with feigned anger as he prepared to launch his own splash attack against his brother.

Al anticipated this and started to move out of range. He could hear Ed cursing as his shot missed over the sloshing of the water as he walked, but it didn't even faze him that the water had crept up to his waist. His cheeks were flushed from laughing and his eyes bright. Giving Ed a little wave, he ignored his elder's commands to 'get back here so I can splash you!' and moved away a little more.

It couldn't have been more than a second; it was like he blinked and when he opened his eyes all he could see the sky beyond the rippling water. Rationality told him to close his mouth, but his body didn't know how to respond other than thrashing about. His mind said swim, but his body didn't comprehend this command; just like it couldn't recall 'walk' or 'eat' or 'sleep'. His lungs filled with water and the surface just seemed to get farther and farther away. His vision blurred and he felt like he was screaming when not a sound came from his lips.

At first, Edward had assumed that Al had tripped and would get up to laugh off his clumsiness. He had been rather clumsy because of his new limbs, so it wouldn't surprise him if he did trip. But no little brother surfaced.

"Al?" The playfulness on Ed's face faded when Al didn't come up for air, "Alphonse? Al!"

Without thinking about the fact that his automail would make him sink in deeper water, Ed rushed over to where Al had vanished and his eyes widened as he saw what the problem was. The river got deeper without warning here, deep enough so that even a full grown person couldn't stand up in it.

"Al!" Ed cried out when he saw his baby brother unable to pull himself up to get air. _He doesn't remember how to swim._

Plunging into the water, his flesh arm snatched Al's wrist and pulled his squirming body against him. His automail hand was gripping the river bank so that he could use the leverage to pull them back up. When air hit the back of Al's throat, he began coughing and sputtering frantically. Even when Ed set him down on the grass, the younger boy clawed frantically at him as if he were still drowning. The golden haired boy gently patted Al on the back to try and help dislodge the water from his lungs.

Alphonse gulped down air hungrily, like a parched man in a desert would if they came across water. His eyes opened and through his blurred vision he caught a glimpse of the angel that he clung to, or at least, what he thought to be his angel. When he had collected himself and his breathing evened out, the chill took over and he started to shiver uncontrollably. His teeth chattered and his hands refused to release their grip on Ed's shirt. The older boy had no choice but to let Al cling to him like a koala bear as he stood up and dragged both their weight back over to the picnic blanket.

Winry had heard the commotion and dashed over to help Ed carry Al back, but seeing as the smaller boy wouldn't let go, she could only make sure that Ed didn't fall from the uneven weight. Once they set Al down, she grabbed one of the extra blankets to dry him off with while Ed went back for their shoes and socks. The blanket was offered to Ed, too, but it didn't dry him off much since it had already dampened from Al.

"What happened?" Winry finally asked when Al started to fumble with his shoe laces. "One second you guys are laughing and the next you're screaming and you're drowning."

Ed attempted to keep his shivering to a minimal as he sat down beside Al, "W-well, Al went out t-too far… he s-slipped and couldn't get back up f-for air."

"Al, why'd you go out that far?" Winry sighed, trying not to be mad at the cold, wet boy. "You know better."

"I-I didn't mean t-to…" he sniffled, watching as Ed wrapped the blanket around them both.

Concerned golden optics were set on him, "You okay now, Al? Do you want to go back to the house for some new clothes?"

When he nodded shakily, Ed tossed off the blanket and helped him up before looking down at Winry, "We'll be back in a bit. C-c'mon, Al."

As the two brothers started back over the hill, Winry could hear muffled 'you idiot's and protests of 'well, if you hadn't tried to splash me!' from them and couldn't help but smile. They would never grow up, would they? Finishing up with the plates and napkins, the blonde girl sat back and watched the river as she waited for her friends to return like they always did.

* * *

"I can't believe that neither of you caught a cold." Winry snorted as she cleared the plates from dinner; Pinako had gone to bed hours before and the three of them had staved off the chores until the storm reared its ugly head.

Ed was in the kitchen washing the dishes that Winry brought to him as Al dried them, "Hmph! I never get sick!"

"I'd beg to differ." Al mumbled as he set aside a fork that Winry would put away. "I can remember plenty of times where you've gotten sick after pushing yourself too hard or when you insisted on traveling around when it was below zero outside."

"When was it ever below zero?" the older boy asked incredulously, then received a smack from the dish towel, "Hey!"

"In Drachma." Al replied triumphantly, flashing his brother an innocent smile.

Ed rolled his eyes and went back to scrubbing the last of the dishes, "Yeah, well… that was probably only once-"

"-but it lasted a week. I remember because it took just as long to get all the puke off my armor." Al finished for him, this time having a sponge tossed at him, "That's not nice, Brother!"

With a childish glare and his tongue sticking out, Ed did not appear to be the seventeen year old that he was supposed to be, "Whoever said I was nice?"

"Be quiet, you two." Winry frowned at them, unable to believe their childish bickering.

It was a nice thing to have though… after all those years of being without them. Even when they were around, the boys had been distant and closed off around her. So she was relieved that they could poke fun at each other like this again. Especially for what it did to Ed. It seemed as if the life had been returned to him and those sad looks and vacant eyes only appeared during the time Al had been sick and breakable.

Happy Ed was definitely what Winry liked to see when she looked at her friend. As she closed the cupboard when the last plate was put away, she glanced over her shoulder to see Ed stretching his arms above his head. His shirt rode up a little, exposing the firm muscles of his stomach, and she looked away quickly as her cheeks warmed up. By doing this, she missed the odd look that Al had given her. It wasn't one of naivety or confusion; but bordering on protective and possible hostility.

"Well, I'm going to bed." Ed announced after his stretch, a little surprised to find Al latched onto his arm as a roar of thunder faded away. "Al?"

"I'm coming with you. I'm tired, too." He told him, and then looked over at Winry, "Goodnight Winry. Sleep well."

Still a bit confused by Al's clinging, Ed just shrugged and led him towards the stairs, "G'night Winry."

"Yeah, goodnight, you two." She replied, watching them go before turning the lights off in the kitchen and heading into her workshop in the basement.

When Ed returned to the bedroom he shared with Al after brushing his teeth, he was surprised to see that his little brother wasn't in bed yet. It was more like he was hovering between their two beds and fidgeting with his nightshirt. The sheets to his bed had been flung aside though, so Al had been in bed at some point, but got out. Lightning lit up the room and illuminated Al's widened eyes. Ed's expression softened; his strides towards his bed were smooth and unwavering.

After pulling back the covers of his bed, he nudged Al out of the way and pulled his brother's bed against his. Clapping his hands together, he placed them at the crease where the beds met and watched as they merged together. It had been something he'd done to their beds during Al's first week or so until the younger could fall asleep on his own. Together they decided when it was best to pull their beds apart, but now Ed decided to let it slide this one time.

"C'mon, Al. Hop on in." he said as he climbed in on his side. "This is just for tonight, though."

Al nibbled on his lower lip, but complied and quickly got into bed beside his brother. "Thank you…"

"It's what big brothers are for, right?" Ed grinned and reached over to muss up Al's hair. "So is the storm scaring you? Is that it?"

There was a hesitant nod, "Kinda…"

Puzzled by the answer that he had received, Ed playfully nudged Al to get him to ease up a little bit more, "What else is it then?"

"You'll think I'm stupid…" Al mumbled into his sheets, a frown creasing his brow.

Ed pouted, "No I won't. Tell me, Aaaall…"

There was silence after Ed's whine trailed off, until the thunder broke through the barrier and Al subconsciously huddled closer to his big brother. Even though he didn't say anything else, Ed wasn't going to let Al off that easily and watched him (rather impatiently) until the younger squirmed under his gaze.

"I thought I was drowning…" he finally admitted, albeit very softly so Ed had to strain to hear it.

"What do you mean?"

Al sighed heavily, and then looked up meet Ed's golden gaze, "When I closed my eyes… I saw the water over my head and I thought I was drowning…"

"Oh, Al…" a soft smile appeared on his lips and he enveloped his baby brother in a gentle hug, "I'd never let you drown. So don't worry. I'll always be here to catch you."

The kiss he placed to Al's cheek was unexpected, but clearly welcomed as he snuggled closer to his brother's warmth. Both comforted and reassured, Al allowed sleep to come and claim him. Ed watched him until he was certain that the boy was in a deep sleep before letting his eyes slip shut.

A thought that he'd later find horrifying plagued him that night; _He's so beautiful… and he's mine._

* * *

A/N: Oh…? So he's yours, is he Edward… We'll see about that…

Al can't swim. Poor guy. Oh, well, big brother can teach him! Unless he's too afraid to get back in the water again, but Al can be stubborn when he has to be. And I think someone has it out for Winry…

Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

R&R please!


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